1 Aug 18

The Visions Team Returns to Durham

Every year, Durham Public Schools teachers and administrators are given the opportunity to apply for the Visions “Connecting the Americas” program. This annual program serves as a professional development experience and is organized by the Duke Office of Durham and Regional Affairs, alongside the UNC-Duke Consortium in Latin American and Caribbean Studies.

As the Latino student population grows in Durham, teachers use this experience as a tool to help them better understand the cultural differences of students and their families and bring Latin American content into the classroom. Visions teachers aim to help students develop fluency in English, lift up their cultures through culturally relevant lesson plans and ultimately make the classroom an engaging learning environment for all students.

In addition to learning from students and educators in Mexico, Visions teachers were able to teach the students. Students from the Peñitas community enjoyed a literacy lesson that incorporated art led by Neal Middle School teachers Joanna Ali and Kia Allah.

Visions teacher Kia Allah engaging students in an arts-based literacy lesson at the school in the Penitas community.
Penitas has about 280 residents and one school serving students K – 6. (There are two classrooms, which are multi-grade)

R.N. Harris kindergarten teachers Maticka Frederick and Kishwa Granson pose in front of the mural at the school they taught at in the community Purísima del Progreso, Irapuato, Mexico.

Visions teachers learned about the education system in Guanajuato from Vincete Sierra Espitia, the Regional Education Representative for the Southeast region of Guanajuato and professor at the National School of Education in Guanajuato.

Ten teachers embarked on this journey in hopes to plan and incorporate Latin American curriculum that engages immigrant students and families in the Durham Public Schools system. Participants were eager to begin their week of learning and teaching experiences in Mexico. Guanajuato is a state in central Mexico known for its agriculture and silver mining. This region has ties to North Carolina with families moving between these states during the last two decades.